Limelight

Izabelle and Hazen: Defensive

(A little while ago, I was getting screenshots of Izabelle for A Thing and I noticed something (why I hadn't noticed it before, I don't know, I have watched ZOMBIES way too many times to count). At the start of the pep rally scene when the zombies are arriving, Izabelle and Hazen link arms and after posting it on Tumblr, wondering if they should be friends, a couple or Izabelle should be another protector for Hazen like Zeke is, and talking to krut09 about it, I ended up shipping them. Then krut09 asked me to write a "little short" (her exact words) about how Izabelle acted around Hazen after she realised she liked him. This really was meant to be short. But I just really love writing Izabelle...

I have a bunch of other Limelights in the works right now, and a BtB. And I have an idea for a one-shot about Bucky ^^

E D I T : The Hazabelle ship was changed to a friendship and this one-shot has been rewritten!)

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From her right: "What is up with you? It's Hazen!"

"I know."

And from her left: "He's, like, the weakest kid in Zombie Town."

"I know."

Right again: "So, why are you hesitating?"

"I'm not hesitating, I'm saying no."

And left: "Don't tell me you like him."

"Not the way you're thinking."

Right: "Since when were you friends with the gralzig?"

"Who said we were friends? I don't like him that much."

"Then what's the hold up? This is a golden opportunity, Iza. He's pretty much the only one you haven't taken a shot at before."

"Riza! I. Know. OK? I'm aware of all of this. But I'm not doing it."

"Not even now that Zeke's distracted?"

Izabelle scoffed, "This has nothing to do with him, I'm not scared of Zeke!" she folded her arms in defiance and gestured towards Hazen, sitting on the edge of the street content to just watch Zeke and his other friends run back and forth – doing parkour, apparently, "I get it! He's super vulnerable right now. It'd be so easy," she snorted, "It'd be easy any time, though, let's face it, but I just don't see why I need to. What's it gonna prove to take out the weak link?"

"When was it ever about proving something?" Zadie asked, frowning.

"Ugh, come on, where is the fun in beating up someone who can't put up a fight?"

"Who even are you?" Zadie shook her head in disbelief.

Izabelle looked back at her, thinking. It really wasn't like her to be so considerate of anyone, besides maybe Bonzo. Not even Riza and Zadie could guarantee she'd always go on easy on them. She glanced over at Hazen again. It just seemed... mean.

What was she feeling right now? Sympathy?

... Gross.

But that was it. Just sympathy. They weren't friends. No way.

Ever since that conversation a few days ago, Izabelle had been on edge. She didn't usually like people. She tolerated people, at best. Bonzo, Riza and Zadie were the only ones lucky enough to be able to say Izabelle genuinely cared about them. Roz got a pass because they were just too lazy to ever provoke her. It wasn't that easy for her to get along with other people, and it was frustrating to think someone might manage to weasel their way into her little circle. Why would she let someone like Hazen in?